Paintbrush holder



Nov. 7, 1950 H. c. KERBY PAINTBRUSH HOLDER Filed NOV. 9, 1946 INVENTOR,HnkMoN C KERB); BY 64M/JQ m HT'TORNEK Patented Nov. 7, 1950 ADAIN'BRUSHHOLDER Harmon C. ll-erby, Indianapolis, Ind., assigner to WoodrowSkirrin and B. K. Reeves, doing business as B t W Manufacturing Company,In-

dianapelis, End.

Application November 9, 1946, Serial No. 709,058

(Cl. 22B- 90) l Claim. l

ll'his invention relates to a means for holding a paint brush over andto one side of a paint containing vessel such as the customarilyemployed can having a friction top closure cap in conjunction with theusual inturned, ribbed flange with which the cap engages.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a brush holder which maybe detachably engaged with the paint Ycontainer whereby the brush holdermay be used at those times when the container cap is removed andthereafter the brush holder may be disengaged and the cap returned toits place.

A further primary object of the invention is to provide a brush holderof that type where the brush position will be determined to haveV thebrush in a substantially horizontal position with the bristleendsioverhanging the paint container, all in such manner that thebristles will be substantially over the paint vessel whereby the paintresidue onthe bristles will not come into any appreciable contact withthe holder itself, and yet the brush will be supported in a substantialmanner.

A further primary object of the invention is to provide a brush holderofthe type above indicated whereinpaint flowing from the bristles of thebrush will be directed back into the paint container rather than beingpermitted to flow initially into the cap retaining groove around the topof the container.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention, includingthe utmost simplicity in structure as well as adaptability to differentsizes of brushes, will become apparent to those versed in the art in thefollowing Jdescription of one particular form of the invention asillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top planView of a fragmentary portion of a paint receptacle with a structureembodying the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3, a View in outside end elevation of the brush holder.

Referring to the drawing, in which like characters of reference indicatelike parts in the several views thereof, the invention is intended to beapplied to the standard receptacle I which is provided with the usualflange Il around its top end, this flange I I being so formed as toprovide an annular groove I2 therearound to receive the downturnedflange of a cap frictionally therein, the cap not being herein shownsince it constitutes no part of the invention. The structure forming theinvention is applied to the can I0 only when the cap is removed.

The brush holder is formed preferably out of some substantially rigidmaterial such as sheet metal to have a substantially flat area I3generally triangular in shape. From the outer marginal portions of thisarea I3, the material is carried abruptly upwardly to form the sideflanges I s and I5 respectively. The outer end of this at area I3terminates in a straight edge `line I6 and the outer ends of therespective flanges I4 and I5 terminate at the outer ends of this lineIt. The length of this line I6, which is equivalent to the spacing apartof the outer ends of the flanges M and l5 adjacent the area I3, is madeto be such that the handle of a paint blush (not shown) will be freelyreceived therebetween but without appreciable side movement.

The inner end of this area I3 terminates in an arcuate line I'Iconforming in general to the curvature of the flange II of the can IU towhich the holder isto be applied. Then the material is bent around anddownwardly from the plane ofthe area I3 by a rounding rib I8 shaped andproportioned to t down and around the horizontally inturned edge I9provided at the top of the innermost part of the flange Il. spaced apartrelation, the material is carried further downwardly from this rib I8 toform a plurality of separate tongues 2l), here shown as three in number,which yieldingly and elastically engage under the lowermost portion ofthe flange II by reason of the foot portions 2I bent therearound fromthe tongues 20.

Referring to Fig. 1, it is to be noted that the side flanges I4 and I5diverge one from the other inwardly from the line I6 throughout themajor length of the area I3 to merge into the straight length portions22 and 23 respectively which eX- tend upwardly from the area I3 fromparallel base lines therealong and continue to the outer ends of thearcuate line I'I. The width of the area I3 between the straight flangeportions 22 and 23 is made to be such that the handle body of the brushmay be received therebetween without appreciable lateral movement,particularly for the larger sizes of brushes normally employed inpainting building structures. In other words, the holder is designed tohold the upper handle portion of the brush, that is that portion intowhich the bristles are entered and secured, between the flange portions22 and 23 and to have the handle properly extending therefrom on outThen through the opening between the anges I3 and I4.

The lat portion I3 is provided with upwardly extending members 24 and 25spaced inwardly from the respective flanges I4, 22 and I5, 23 insubstantial parallelism therewith, these members in the present showingconstituting ribs upwardly pressed from the material forming the portionI3. The outer ends of these members 24 and 25 terminate substantially inline with the ends of the line I6 at their outer ends,l and by theirrear ends on a line substantially tangential to the line I1. Then,spaced between the outer end portions of these members 24 and 25 is acentral member 26 likewise extending above the level of the area I3 intothe plane defined by the tops of the members 24 and 25. In the formherein shown, this member 26 is a rib upwardly pressed from the materialforming the area I3. Preferably this member 26 continues by a shortlength from its outer end so as to leave a major portion of the area I3free of any obstruction between its inner end and the line I1. By reasonof the existence vof these members 24, 25, and 26, the brush is heldabove the portion I3 in spaced relation. This structure not only permitsready draining of paint from under the brush into the can over the ribI8 without entrance into the Ygroove I2, but at the same time, permitsthe holder to be used on one can after another holding diierent paintcolors without contamination of that ldifferent color with the paint onthe brush' bristles. This is particularly true where paint has beenpoured from the receptacleY IB 'over the holder. Since the brush handleproper is supported above the level of the area I3 and extendsprincipally therebeyond, this handle portion does no't become coatedwith paint, and consequently, the operator may keep his hands free ofpaint.r Since the length of the arcuate line I'I is much less than halfthe circumference of the opening in the can I0, the can may be carriedabout by the usual bail without having to remove the brush holder.

While the invention has been herein described in reference to the oneparticular form in minute detail, it is obvious that structural changes`may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, andI therefore do not y 4 desire to be limited to that precise form beyondthe limitations which may be imposed by the following claim,

I claim:

A paint brush holder for use with a paint bucket having an inturnedannular flange around its top edge, comprising in combination a planarfloor member having an innen-arcuate edge Dortion conformingsubstantially to the curvature of the flange on said bucket, saidarcuate edge portion extending downwardly over said flange; a pluralityof elastic tongues extending below said arcuate edge portion; a foot oneach of said tongues turned outwardly to engage the under side of saidange; said floor member having opposite side edge portions extendingoutwardly from the ends of said arcuate edge portion in parallelrelation to each other and then converging inwardly one toward the otherto an outer floor terminal transverse edge; flanges turned up from eachof said side edge portions; said floor member and said flanges dening anopening at said terminal edge to receive the handle of a paint brush;and a pair of upwardly extending ribs on said floor member spacedinwardly from and substantially parallel to said side edge portions,said floor and edge anges being proportioned, when a brush is positionedon said floor with its handle extending outwardly through said openingbeyond said transverse edge and with the heel of said brush in abutmentwith theconverging side flanges, to have the bristles of said brushoverhang the arcuate edge portion and have the brush held againstlateral and outward movement over said loor member, and to have thebrushV held in spaced aboveV relation over said floor by said upwardlyextending ribs.

` HARMON-C. KERBY. Y

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,764,763 Stang June 17, 19302,418,502 Ferguson Apr. 8, 1947 2,420,487 Long May 13, 1947

